Octopus, Common (Tako) – Eastern Atlanitc, Bottom Trawl

Common Octopus are wide-ranging and have short lifespans.

In the eastern Atlantic, Common Octopus are caught with bottom trawls by Spain, Portugal, Morocco and Mauritania. These bottom trawl fisheries often catch high numbers of non-target species, including some depleted, threatened, and endangered species. Bottom trawling is also highly destructive to bottom ocean habitats.

In Spain and Portugal, the abundance of the Common Octopus is uncertain, but likely stable. However, the Common Octopus populations off the coasts of Morocco and Mauritania are depleted and likely experiencing heavy fishing. Management of these fisheries is poor.